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Here's How Apple Plans to Keep Your Kids Safe

The Cupertino tech giant is making more of an effort to educate moms and dads about its iOS and macOS parental control tools and how to use them.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Apple just launched a new Families page that may help give moms and dads the information they need to lock down the iOS and macOS devices their kids are using.

In response to growing concern about the effect of its smartphones on children, Apple recently pointed out that it already offers a number of tools to help parents control and restrict the apps, movies, websites, songs, books, cellular data, password settings, and other features on their kids' devices. Now, the Cupertino tech giant is making more of an effort to educate parents about these tools and how to use them.

The new Families page highlights tools such as Restrictions, which lets you block or limit specific apps and features on your kid's iOS device; Ask to Buy, a feature that lets you remotely approve or decline the apps your kids want to download; and Find My Friends, which lets you keep track of your kid's locations and get alerts when they leave or arrive somewhere.

Apple in January said it was working on new parental control "features and enhancements" in response to an open letter from two major investors about the addictive nature of the company's devices.

"We believe there is a clear need for Apple to offer parents more choices and tools to help them ensure that young consumers are using your products in an optimal manner," the investors, Jana Partners and CalSTRS, which collectively own approximately $2 billion in Apple shares, wrote in the Jan. 6 letter. The organizations cited statistics from the nonprofit Common Sense Media revealing that 78 percent of teens check their phones at least once an hour and 50 percent feel "addicted" to their phone.

More recently, a group of Stanford University student protestors urged Apple to do more to curb iPhone addiction.

Apple isn't the only company facing this issue. In a recent survey, 62 percent of parents whose children watch content on YouTube said their kid has encountered inappropriate videos on the Google-owned platform. But while the majority (81 percent) of parents said it's mainly their job to prevent their kids from seeing inappropriate videos, just 40 percent have taken advantage of YouTube's parental controls, the survey found.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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